Whitmer creates task force to reduce gun violence in Michigan
- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order to create a Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
- The announcement comes days after an Shelby Township man opened fire on a splash pad in Oakland County
- The task force will include medical experts and law enforcement professionals. Individuals can also apply
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has created a Gun Violence Prevention Task Force with the goal of decreasing gun-related incidents in Michigan.
Whitmer signed an executive order Thursday establishing the task force, just days after 42-year-old Michael William Nash of Shelby Township opened fire on a splash pad in Rochester Hills, leaving nine people, including two children, injured. Nash later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“Michiganders deserve to feel safe everywhere—whether they’re picking up their kids from school or grocery shopping for the week ahead,” Whitmer said in a press statement.
The task force is Whitmer’s latest effort to reduce gun violence in Michigan. Last year, the state Legislature passed gun legislation that requires universal background checks for all firearm purchases and established storage requirements and an extreme risk protection, or “red flag” law, which allows people to petition for someone’s firearm to be confiscated if the person poses a threat to themselves or others.
The most recent data from the Michigan State Police show that there were 1,128 non-fatal shootings in 2022, slightly down from 1,354 the previous year.
Michigan gun initiatives
- April 2023 – Legislation establishing universal background checks for all firearms and safe-storage requirements for firearms when minors are around.
- May 2023 – “Red flag” legislation establishing extreme risk protection orders. Police officers, health-care professionals, and family members can file a court order to have someone’s firearms temporarily confiscated if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
- November 2023 – Legislation prohibiting individuals convicted of domestic violence from buying, owning or transporting firearms for eight years after sentencing.
The series of gun laws followed the mass shootings at Oxford High School in 2021, which left four students dead, and Michigan State University in 2023, where three students were killed.
Related:
- Michigan splash pad shooter was a known risk. 'Red flag' law didn't stop him
- Michigan splash pad shooting: What we know, and what to expect next
- Police are using Michigan’s ‘red flag’ law to confiscate guns. Here’s how
In a press statement Thursday, the families of Oxford shooting victims Tate Myre and Hana St. Juliana thanked Whitmer for establishing the task force. They referenced Saturday’s shooting in Rochester Hills. “Just this past weekend, a community not too far from Oxford was the latest to endure another mass shooting. These tragedies have become all too common, but they cannot be the norm,” the families said.
Saturday’s shooting illustrated some of the limitations of the state’s gun laws. According to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, Nash struggled with mental health issues that were known by his relatives. But there was no petition to have his firearms confiscated. Police said Nash legally owned 11.
Members of the new task force will be responsible for identifying the cause of gun violence, gathering and reporting data and providing policy recommendations, the state said.
The task force will be within the Michigan Department of Health and Human services. The group will include state department directors, medical experts, law enforcement professionals, tribal representatives and other stakeholders.
Individuals can apply for an appointment on the task force by submitting an application before July 18.
“Passing gun safety legislation is only step one," said Chelsea Parsons, senior director of implementation at Everytown for Gun Safety in a press statement.
“The second is making sure these lifesaving policies are effectively implemented to help make all Michigan communities safe from gun violence.”
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